An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Special Educational Needs
REPORT
Schull,
Roll number: 71102I
Date of inspection: 26 April 2007
Date of issue of report: 8 November 2007
Subject provision and whole school support
Summary of main findings and recommendations
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Special Educational Needs
Subject inspection report
This report has been written following a subject
inspection in
Subject provision and whole school support
In recognition of the needs presenting, the college staff is committed to continuing professional development (CPD) at both a collective and individual level. The college has recently engaged with the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to organise a whole-staff seminar on inclusive education. Individual staff members, and in particular members of the special educational needs support team, have also accessed an impressive range of professional-development activities. Currently a staff member is undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma in Special educational needs. The present special educational needs co-ordinator is well qualified and is commended for the work undertaken in the college since completing the DES recognised course in 1994. Senior management is supportive and is mindful of the workload relating to special educational needs and has recently assigned an assistant principal to support the special educational needs team.
The college has drafted a detailed policy on inclusion which makes reference to the rationale, values, aims, objectives and practices in relation to students with special educational needs. This document very much reflects the practice as witnessed during the inspection and its contents would assist in any future review of the college’s policies with regard to admissions and student participation. The college is also commended for its draft policy on exceptionally able/gifted and talented students.
The college endeavours to ensure that students with special educational needs have access to the same broad and well balanced curriculum as their peers. While there is some team-teaching taking place, the provision for students with special educational needs operates predominantly on a withdrawal basis. In consultation with their parents and teachers, students are usually withdrawn from Gaeilge and Religion and then receive one-to-one or small-group tuition. The positive attitude of staff and the good work engaged by the special-needs assistants ensure that the students in receipt of support are meaningfully included in college life. Consistency of approach and continuity of personnel is valued by the college and is very much to the fore in assigning teachers to students.
The accommodation allocated to the students withdrawn from class is not appropriate. The college has previously expressed its concern and is in contact with the relevant DES personnel. The college is well resourced with ICT and other learning materials but much of this material is stored in a small converted balcony area which hinders accessibility and availability.
Provision and whole-school support is of a high standard in this school. To further advance the good practice witnessed it is recommended that the college consider the expansion of the team- teaching approach as a means of providing appropriate support to students with special educational needs. Such an inclusive approach has, as discussed, many advantages and has been found to assist in attending to the individual needs of students, including the exceptionally able, and in promoting a consistent and whole-school approach to meeting such needs.
Planning and preparation
In planning and preparing to meet the needs of students with special educational needs, the support team is very much aware of the diverse, individual and wide range of needs presenting. Good lines of communication exist within the college and also between the college and the feeder primary schools. Such advance interaction with the primary schools ensures that, for the majority of students, planning and preparation occurs before their arrival at the college.
As well as consulting with the relevant primary schools before entry, the students undertake standardised tests in literacy, numeracy and ability. Teacher observation at the beginning of the school year also assists in determining needs. The recommended three-staged approach is adopted by the special educational needs support team and where appropriate an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is devised. The support team also engages with external personnel on a regular basis.
The college is commended for its continuing proactive engagement with the IEP process. Such engagement reflects the school’s student-centred approach to learning and teaching. Examination of completed templates reveals a clear focus on achieving learning outcomes over a set period of time and good use is made of the Guidelines on the Individual Education Plan Process as published by the National Council for Special Education. Within its own review documentation, the college is aware of the need to agree on a common template to be used. Furthermore, it is recognised that IEPs will assist all subject teachers to engage collectively in achieving measurable and concrete learning outcomes for individual students. It is therefore important that all teachers are made aware of their valuable role in achieving any individual student’s education plan.
Planning and preparation in the area of special needs have been enhanced by the college’s involvement with the Cork County Vocational Educational Committee (CCVEC) project on information and communication technology (ICT) and special needs. A lot of very good work has been done in designing a coded database for all students in receipt of support. Further development of the database will facilitate the college’s collective efforts to enhance the quality of communication and learning. Again, such work by the special educational needs support team is commended.
As outlined in the special educational needs support team’s own review, further examination of the benefits accruing from team-teaching is merited. Such an approach will also assist in the transfer of skills and knowledge between all teachers and allow for ongoing planning, preparation and evaluation to occur within as well as outside of class time. The advantage of in-school sharing is that it is context-sensitive and action-based, thus ensuring the continued engagement in the process of improving the quality of the learning and teaching in the college.
The college is commended for the quality of its planning and preparation. The quality of self-review and self-evaluation is noted as is the fact that the majority of this work occurs in the teachers’ own time. It is recommended that a formal timetable meeting be allotted to core members in order to assist the good work already under way. Such a timetabled meeting will also assist in meeting with representatives from external agencies.
Teaching and learning
The classes visited were formed on a withdrawal basis and ranged from first year through to sixth year. Each teacher worked on a one-to-one basis with their students who were following the mainstream programme. An examination of college documentation and of the relevant students’ IEPs revealed that the educational needs presented included students who required support to further develop their communication skills in areas such as reading, writing, speaking, listening and thinking; as well as students who required assistance in improving their numeracy skills. The target setting in the IEPs assisted in focusing attention, not only on what the teacher would do but more importantly on what the student would learn, is able to do, and understand. In all lessons, there was a range of differentiated practices observed which matched the diverse needs of the students and their diverse learning targets.
Teachers were conscious of the need to attend to not only the cognitive but also the affective and social dimensions of learning. The well planned lessons and good communication with the mainstream subject teachers and students ensured that worthwhile and relevant learning took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Students were visibly engaged in the lessons visited. Praise was used effectively and the material covered matched the abilities and interests of the students. Good use of questioning by teachers assisted in monitoring student progress and encouraged student initiative and independent learning. When asked, all students spoke confidently and openly about their learning and the value they attributed to the support they were receiving.
Teacher-produced flashcards were used to good effect in teaching area and perimeter to a junior cycle student. The pace of the lesson was appropriate and the supporting material facilitated as much independent work as possible. Teacher knowledge of their students’ interests was obvious in all classes and used to good effect in capturing pupil attention and in promoting student learning. Consonant blends were practiced by another student who works well with his hands and in turn was given a reading task that required decoding of a diagram showing how to plumb a house. Another teacher used mind maps to recap on a story being read in class. The student answered questions based on the piece read and then, with the assistance of the teacher, jotted down the key points which in turn allowed for a more comprehensive written answer. Other classes visited concentrated on other aspects of learning such as homonyms, using a laptop effectively and preparing for state examinations. It was noted that the senior cycle students were encouraged to voice their learning needs which very much assisted them in their learning.
The quality of teaching and learning in the classes visited was very good. A balance is maintained between the amount of time spent on priority needs and the time spent accessing the wider curriculum. The college has already begun to outline effective teaching methodologies and is encouraged to continue to do so and to draw on the good practice witnessed. Continued interaction with mainstream subject teachers is also encouraged as it assists in ensuring a consistent approach to teaching while also monitoring learning.
Assessment
The college has a written assessment, testing and recording policy. This college policy highlights the importance of establishing a link between what is taught and what is learned. The special educational needs support team is very aware of the value of assessment for learning as well as assessment of learning. As outlined above, planning and preparation is designed to be flexible and is determined by the needs presenting. Ongoing daily assessment occurs and the differentiated approaches, as witnessed, support students in their learning. The IEP process and some initiatives by the English department assist in monitoring and reviewing progress. Homework is differentiated to meet the individual needs of students. The college facilitates students with Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations (RACE) and makes arrangements to allow students practice such accommodations in the pre-examinations. Assistive technology is also availed of where appropriate.
All student records are stored in a secure locked filing cabinet with restricted access. Teachers have access to certain student information in the staffroom and the further development of the IEP process will assist all in monitoring student progress and learning needs. It is college policy to actively engage with parents in advancing student learning and it is understood that there are good lines of communication between parents and the college . It is noted that the parents council have recently undertaken fundraising activities to support the college in providing better accommodation for students with special educational needs.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
- The special educational needs team, college staff and management are deserving of much praise for the stated special educational needs policy and its implementation.
- The allocation of resources is used to good effect.
- In assigning teachers to students, consistency of approach and continuity of personnel is valued by the college and the college management ensures that best practice is followed by employing a core team in providing for students with special educational needs.
- In identifying needs, the recommended three-staged approach is adopted by the special educational needs support team and where appropriate an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is devised.
- All the planning and administrative duties associated with the college’s special needs provision are carried out in a highly professional manner.
- The high quality of self-review and self-evaluation is noted as is the staff’s ongoing commitment to their own individual and collective professional development.
- The quality of teaching and learning in the classes visited was very good.
- A range of differentiated practices were observed which matched the diverse needs of the students and their diverse learning targets.
- The college has a written assessment, testing and recording policy. This policy highlights the importance of a student-centred approach and in establishing a link between what is taught and what is learned.
- Good records are maintained both on paper and electronically.
- Parental involvement is valued by the school and is used to maximise learning.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- The college has drafted a detailed policy on inclusion and its contents should be used to assist in any future review of the college’s policies with regard to admissions and student participation.
- The accommodation allocated to the students withdrawn from class is not appropriate and, as the college has highlighted, requires attention.
- It is recommended that a formal timetabled meeting be allotted to core members of the special educational needs in order to assist the good work already under way.
- An expansion of the team-teaching model is recommended. Such expansion would enhance the quality of the learning environment and would be in tune with a more integrated and inclusive model of support for special educational needs students.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with, the members of the college’s special educational needs support team and with the principal and deputy principal, at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.